


The Roadtrip

by TrekTraveler



Series: The Samantha MacKade Chronicles [3]
Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Adventure & Romance, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 08:14:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24966541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrekTraveler/pseuds/TrekTraveler
Summary: Sam MacKade has finally gotten her wish!  A trip into the Gamma Quadrant to study a meteor array with state of the art equipment and a suped up Runabout!  Of course, fate liked to complicate things and that means... Julian Bashir is tagging along ;)What could go wrong?!
Relationships: Julian Bashir/Original Female Character(s)
Series: The Samantha MacKade Chronicles [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1616893
Comments: 8
Kudos: 5





	1. The Hot Rod

Samantha MacKade followed Chief O’Brien as he made a slow circle around the Runabout, diligently ticking off items on her punch-list as Miles called them out. She had, at long last, received permission from Captain Sisko to conduct a survey of the Pentara Meteor Array. A naturally occurring phenomenon that was unique to the Gamma Quadrant. According to several ancient Bajoran texts, it only happened once every 900 years and it was due this year. The Runabout was Miles O’Brien’s pet project. It had belonged to the USS Tecumseh and sustained heavy damage during a skirmish with the Klingons. The Tecumseh had docked at DS9 for routine maintenance and repairs and left shuttle behind, thinking it was not worth the effort to repair.

“You know, if we amplify the resolution output on that long range sensor using a double feedback loop, we should be able to increase the efficiency by a factor of ten,” Sam mused, handing the Chief a plasma clamp.

O’Brien grunted from his position under the main propulsion thruster, “That’s a good idea. We’ve got a bit of time to make the adjustments before you and Dax leave in the morning.”

“Are you sure you can’t come with us?” Sam asked, exchanging the clamp for parametric scanner.

“No can do.”

“But this is your baby, you’ve been working on her for weeks,” Sam protested, “Don’t you want to be there for her maiden voyage?”

“Keiko is going to be at that hydroponics conference for another three days,” Miles said, climbing out from under the Runabout, “I’ve got Molly to take care of. Besides, you and Dax can get into plenty of trouble without me.”

“Actually, Dax isn’t coming,” Julian announced, striding into the shuttle bay.

Sam frowned at the doctor, “What are you talking about, Bashir?”

“Dax was exposed to Romulan Night Fever on that mission to Turkana Four,” Julian explained, “She and the rest of the Defiant crew are in quarantine for the next five days.”

Miles winced in sympathy, “Oh, that’s nasty stuff!”

Sam’s eye widened in concern, “Are they alright?”

“Oh yes,” he rushed to reassure her, “But they are all potential virus carriers for a few days, hence the quarantine.”

“Five days,” she repeated, her voice reflecting disappointment, “The meteor array will be at its peak in three and then it won’t pass this way for another 900 years.”

“Yes, I know. That’s why I’m going with you,” Julian announced.

Sam’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, “Really? You?”

“I’ll have you know that I can be quite an asset on away missions,” he informed her, “Especially ones of the scientific variety. Besides, a wonder of nature that occurs once every nine centuries has got to be worth a look.” Julian paused as his earnest brown eyes held hers, “If that’s alright with you?”

“Oh,” Sam blinked, a slow smile spreading over her face, “Yeah, fine. Great! That sounds great!”

He smiled back, “Great.”

“We leave at 0500,” Sam told him as he was already bounding towards the hanger door, excitement in every step.

“I’ll put together a playlist,” he called over his shoulder, “T’Merk just released several new tracks, you’re going to love it!”

“Okay,” she replied almost absent-mindedly, then what he said registered, “Wait, no! No Klingon ska!”

Julian turned around, his face fell in disappointment, “Oh really? But this is new…”

“No.”

“Totally new sound!”

“No way,” Sam shook her head firmly, “Julian, it sounds like animal sacrifice.”

The Chief snorted in laugher, earning a look of annoyance from his best friend.

“Alright, have it your way,” Julian finally relented, “I’ll bring the opera instead.”

Sam only shook her head at the doctor’s retreating form, smiling to herself as she focused on reviewing the information on her data PADD.

Miles considered the encounter he had just witnessed with a speculative frown. A place like DS9 could be a bit of a rumor mill and while he prided himself on not participating, he did overhear the occasional interesting tidbit. MacKade and Bashir had developed an obvious friendship over the past few months, they could often be seen chatting in the Replimat or Quark’s. Julian even let it slip that she joined him in the Holosuite to try out his new rock-climbing program. The young doctor was easily distracted by a pretty face and never really stopped looking for love. Unfortunately, Lady Luck never seemed to smile on him in that department. Miles had seen his friend’s heart get stomped on more than once and it had him feeling especially protective. Sam MacKade was brilliant, beautiful, and tough as nails. She wasn’t the type of woman to string a man along, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t break some hearts, even unintentionally. 

Feeling the chief’s eyes on her, Sam looked up, “What is it?”

“Its just funny, that’s all,” he said with a shrug.

“What’s funny?”

“When you first came to the station you said Julian Bashir was the most annoying man this side of the wormhole, now you seem to enjoy his company.” Miles observed.

Sam arched an eyebrow, “A familiar pattern. You weren’t all the fond of him yourself on first meeting.”

“He grows on a person.”

“So he does,” Sam returned, inputting a few calculations on her data PADD, “Besides, who says I can’t have annoying friends? I keep you around, don’t I?”

Miles gave her a good-natured growl, “Watch it, lady.”

Sam chuckled and they continued going through the punch list without further discussion of the good doctor. 

Twenty two hours into their journey and the Runabout finally neared its final destination.

“How’s it going?” Sam asked as she took the navigation seat, handing Julian one of the cups she carried.

He took it gratefully, inhaling the fragrant steam of Tarkalean Tea. “Right on schedule, we should be in orbit around Yellian Four within the hour.”

Sam checked the updated star charts that poured through the Nav-Com, “Pentara Meteor Array due to appear about… this time tomorrow.”

“We made incredibly good time,” Julian observed.

“I know, its great isn’t it?” Sam grinned, pride clear in her voice, “O’Brien and I really put our heads together on this one. Its like an outer space hot rod!”

Julian had to chuckle every time Sam used one of those odd 20th century terms. He doubted she was even aware of just how often she peppered them through her speech. It usually got strange looks from other people, but he found it rather endearing. Especially when she used them to describe the latest and greatest out of Starfleet engineering. 

Suddenly, an explosion from just off starboard violently shook the entire shuttle. Both occupants held tightly to avoid being ejected from their seats. Warning lights lit up the console and gas vented into the cabin.

Sam’s fingers flew over the Nav-Com as she rushed to assess the damage, “What the hell was that?!”

“I don’t know,” Julian answered grimly, “We couldn’t have been fired on, there are no other ships in the sector… we must have collided with something.”

“It sounded like an explosion,” Sam said coughing as the cabin filled with smoke. “Whatever it was knocked out our navigation system, we’re flying blind!”

“Engines failing,” Julian flipped switches efficiently and shifted from auto pilot to manual, “We need to land now!”

Sam stood up and craned her neck to get a better view of their position, “Looks like there is a small planet on the starboard side, 12 degrees, I say we go for it.”

“On it,” he confirmed, his face taut with concentration, “Strap yourself in.”

Sam was barely seated and the Runabout was already cutting through the upper atmosphere.

“Anti-Grav thrusters operating at 30%... this is going to be rough,” Julian warned as she struggled to keep control of the craft, “Brace for impact!”

Sam held tightly to the arms of the navigation chair, holding her breath in anticipation of the crash she knew was coming. As they hit the ground, the Runabout continued to skid for several hundred feet, taking out trees and undergrowth in its wake. The hull shook with such force that several interior panels came loose. Metal, wire and lights sparked and crunched under the force. 

The last thing Sam saw was one of those fly off towards her head just before darkness fell.


	2. Don't Tell Dad We Wrecked the Car

The shuttle was completely dark when Julian regained consciousness. He was hanging from the pilot’s seat, suspended above the control panel by the safety harness. The odd angle of the cabin told him the nose of the shuttle must have run aground on impact. As he tried to release himself from the straps, a sharp pain shot from his shoulder down his right arm.

“Damn it,” he muttered, releasing his shoulder was dislocated. “Sam?” He called out, remembering he wasn’t alone, “Sam, are you alright?”

As the emergency lights flickered to life, Julian could see Sam, still strapped into the navigation chair, dangling from her harness, like a puppet with its strings cut. The dim light made it difficult to assess her condition, judging by the fact that she wasn’t moving or answering him made it a safe bet that she too had been knocked unconscious during the landing.

Julian struggled to free himself, but his dislocated shoulder made that impossible. He called her name again, “Sam! Come on… wake up for me. Sam!”

She finally groaned in response, shifting slightly in her seat.

“Thank god,” Julian breathed, “Samantha, come on now, talk to me!”

Sam looked around the cabin in confusion, hearing her name, she turned her head and saw the doctor strapped into the chair at her left. She blinked, trying to bring him into focus, “Julian? What… are you alright?”

“Yes,” Julian answered, grunting as he tried again to release the straps, “Can you get free of your harness?”

“Yeah, I think so I … whoa!” Sam exclaimed as the buckle released and she crashed in an undignified heap on the floor. “Judas priest” she muttered, using the console to drag herself up.

Julian squinted, the lack of light was making it difficult to see anything, “Are you alright?”

Sam popped up next to him, slightly flustered. “Yes, yes, fine. Just the latest in a long line of graceful moments.” She frowned, seeing Julian cradle his right arm, “You’re hurt?”

“My shoulder is dislocated,” Julian explained, trying to push aside the pain, “Can you reach my belt clasp?”

Sam felt around his waist until her fingers found the metal buckle. “Hold tight,” she said, working the jammed button until it finally released.

Julian crashed into Sam, landing on top of her with a pained grunt, “Well done.”

“Thank you,” Sam huffed, helping him gently roll off of her.

Now that he had a clear view of her face, Julian could see a large gash angling across her forehead just above her brow, leaving a smear of blood down her cheek.

“I know,” Sam acknowledged, seeing the doctor studying her injury, “Let’s sort your shoulder first, yeah?”

“Fair enough,” he allowed, “I’m going to lay on my back. I need you t o raise my right arm straight up over my head until it pops back into place.”

“Okay,” she nodded, helping him find a flat spot in the topsy turvy Runabout. “Let me find your med bag first, give you something for the pain.”

“No, not yet. I need to be able to feel everything clearly so I can guide you,” Julian insisted taking a deep breath, to prepare himself for the pain he knew was coming.

Sam knelt down beside him, taking his hand in hers, “On the count of three?”

He nodded, “Just keep the arm straight and go directly up over my head.”

She locked eyes with him, “One, two, three.” 

A moment later, a loud pop came from the out of place joint and Julian let out a cry of pain mixed with relief. Rubbing his bicep, he sat up, “Thank you, your technique was perfect.”

Sam reappeared at his side, hypospray in hand. Checking the dosage, Bashir administered the pain killer and felt relief instantly, “You have the makings of a fine doctor.”

“I lack the disposition,” she replied with a droll grin, handing him the Med Kit, “I don’t have your patience for people.”

“Its not for everyone, I suppose,” he murmured, running a tricorder slowly over her injury. “No sign of concussion.”

“I have a hard head.”

“Not the first sign I’ve seen of that,” Julian smiled as he traded the tricorder for a dermal regenerator. “The cut is mostly superficial, shouldn’t leave a scar.”

“Pity, I could do with a scar or two,” she quipped, “Run off and become a space pirate or something.”

“Best to keep your options open,” he said finishing with the dermal tool. 

Once both of them had their injuries sorted, they turned their attention to the bigger issue at hand, the shuttle. The landing had not been a kind one. All systems were offline except for emergency   
lights and life support, although judging by the vegetation clinging to the outside of the windows the planet’s atmosphere was likely to be compatible for humans. There was no way to tell how bad the damage was or how far off course they may be until more of the basic systems were repaired. 

Sam pulled off the panel under the main control console and crawled through the narrow opening, disappearing all the way to her waist. She contoured her slim frame past a tangle of wires and metal work, until she found a semi-workable angle. 

“Alright,” her muffled voice called out, “Hand me the flux coupler.”

Julian passed the instrument into her waiting hand while he continued to work with the comm panel. 

“Anything?”

“Nope,” he replied, testing a few buttons.

“Damn it,” she muttered, “Let’s try the thermal regulator.”

Exchanging one tool for the other did the trick, “Ah ha!” the doctor exclaimed at the helm came to life, “Success!”

Sam wiggled out of the confined space, joining Julian as he brought the computer back online.

“Looks like we aren’t too far off course after all,” Julian said, reading the data coming in, “Actually, this planet is right in the path of the array.”

“Fantastic,” Sam replied, checking the propulsion engine and operating systems, “Any ideas of what brought us down?”

Julian’s brow furrowed, “No, and the only warp signature in the area is from our Runabout.”

Suddenly, an urgent light started to blink out a warning on the console. “No, no, no, no, no…!” Sam moaned, quickly tapping the controls in front of her. 

Julian looked over in concern, “What is it?”

Sam shook her head, trying several different combinations of code, “There’s a breach in the warp drive, it must have happened on impact.”

He came to look grimly over her shoulder, “Can you pull up the electromagnetic shielding? Contain it?”

“I’m trying, its not responding… oh hell!” her eyes widened as more alarms sounded, “We’ve got to get out of here, now!”

They scrambled out of the cockpit, climbing up over chairs and debris in their way. The door was resistant, but with a joint effort it budged enough to let them slip through. They ran several feet before hunkering down behind a massive boulder, hands and arms covering their heads in anticipation of the explosion.

A loud boom came a second later, yet no debris reached them. Tentatively, both Sam and Julian peeked over the top of the boulder. The shuttle was encased in an iridescent force field, safely containing the remnants of heat and smoke.

“At least we know the emergency protocol systems work,” Sam said as they approached the wreck, taking a tricorder from her back pocket. She walked a slow circle around the craft, taking readings as she went. “The radiation should dissipate and reach safe levels within a day or two. The shields will drop automatically, and we will have access again. Hard to assess the extend of the damage until then.”

“Come have a look at this,” Julian called her from the far side of the shuttle. He was crouched down on the balls of his feet, examining what looked like a large, metal beach ball.

Sam cocked her head, not recognizing the object, “What is that? A satellite?”

“I think it’s a detection probe. The Jem’Hadar have been known to put these into orbit around planets they claimed during their campaign,” Julian explained grimly, “Designed to zero in on any vessel that passes a bit too close to their territory and take it down.”

“Like a landmine in space,” Sam reasoned. “What the hell is it still doing here? We are well outside of Dominion territory.”

“Its possible they forgot it when they puled their ships out,” Julian mused as he stood up, rubbing the back of his neck. 

Sam knew that gesture, it was one that combined thinking and worry. “You don’t believe that.”

“In my experience, nothing the Dominion does is by accident,” he confirmed. 

“So, they’ll be coming?”

“I wouldn’t count it out.” 

As if to add its own comment to on the current situation, the shuttle let out a massive puff of white exhaust fumes. Sam tilted her head to the side and studied the shuttle. It was a complete disaster, every bulkhead was dented and had gashes of paint scraped off. One of the landing platforms was bent at a 45 degree angle and other was buried in the ground up to the undercarriage. Sticks, mud and what looked like a Gamma Quadrant equivalent of poison sumac was lodged in the intake valves. 

“O’Brien is not going to be happy with us.”

“Oh, I’m sure he will just be grateful we are alive,” Julian countered.

Sam patted him on the shoulder, “I’m glad you’re so confident. You can be the one to break the news when we get back to the station.”


	3. Drunken Campfire Stories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens when Sam and Julian actually have a moment to enjoy each other's company? Lots of shots of Irish whiskey and lots of flirting.
> 
> This chapter is a bit on the long side, but stick with it! Its worth the effort, if you're into cuddling and campfires :)

The planet turned out to be heavily forested with an atmosphere similar to Earth. The air was crisp and on the thin side, it reminded Julian of the northwest coast of North America. A brief exploration turned up no inhabitants and very little wildlife except for birds and fish. In fact, if not for the detection probe, he would have thought it was previously undiscovered.

An hour or so of moderate hiking produced a decent clearing to make camp. Julian stood at the northern most point that looked out over the most beautiful valley. Lush with every shade of green imaginable. A white-water river cut through the vegetation, rushing over rocks and boulders. A great bird with bright blue and silver feathers dove down and snatched a fish from the crystal waters. 

“As far as crash-land planets go, we hit the jackpot,” Julian said, walking into the center of the clearing where Sam was taking inventory of their equipment, “This place would give Risa fair competition for the title of paradise.”

She sat cross-legged, not looking up from the particle sensor she was fiddling with, “Risa has room service”

“Ah, come on,” Julian appealed to her, “Haven’t you ever been camping?”

Sam tilted her head thoughtfully, “There was a very pretty woodland behind the house I grew up in, had this fantastic lookout point. I used to sneak out of my room every night and go stargazing, but I was always back in my bed by sunup.” 

“Then you are in for a treat. Sleeping out under the night sky, waking to birds singing,” he paused to fill is lungs. “That fresh air! There’s nothing like it.”

Sam had to laugh, he was like a little kid when he got excited like this. “And when was the last time you went camping, Daniel Boone?”

He gave her a quizzical look, “Who?”

“Never mind,” she muttered, turning her attention back to the small power generator in her hands, “I assume Starfleet Academy has some helpful advice for situations like this?”

“Oh yes, there was an entire course on field survival. I’ve been trained for every type of terrain, weather conditions, lifeforms.” He puffed up with pride, “I received top marks actually.”

“I would expect nothing less,” she declared, “I don’t suppose you’ve noticed any issues with your tricorder while you were out exploring? Particularly in regards to life signs?”

Julian frowned slightly, “I didn’t pick up any life signs.”

“Not even mine?”

Taking out his tricorder, Julian scanned the woman directly in front of him. His frown deepened, “What the hell?”

Sam got to her feet and handed him her own tricorder so he could compare, “It’s probably to do with the mineral deposits and compounds at the core of this planet. It creates some kind of dampening field. Our instruments on the Runabout might be powerful enough to break though the interference, but not he tricorders.”

“So, if the Jem’Hadar show up we won’t know it until they are within visual range.”

“Presumably they wouldn’t be able to detect us either but yeah, it’s a problem,” she confirmed. “What does Starfleet recommend for us?”

Julian’s answer was quick, “Secure the perimeter.”

“Exactly,” Sam said, digging though her rucksack. She produced a handful of small, metal darts and gave them to the doctor. “Here. Plant these at equal intervals approximately half a kilometer from the center of camp. You go east, I’ll go west, circle the clearing.”

“Booby traps?”

“Not quite,” she replied pulling more items from the seemingly bottomless bag. “Hurry up, you don’t want to lose the light.”

Julian had to shake his head as he headed off to complete his task. Funny how she always managed to end up in charge. 

Sam was just putting the finishing touches on her set-up when he came striding back into the clearing, “All set?”

“Mission accomplished,” he said with a mock salute.

“Perfect,” she murmured, not looking up, “Okay... are you ready?”

“Absolutely,” he replied, not entirely sure what he was ready for.

“Here goes nothing,” Sam punched a command code into the make-shift console she’d constructed. The machine responded with a light zap and sent up a thin column of smoke, but the circuits held and the sensors placed around the camp flickered to life. 

“Success?” Julian asked.

She waived the smoke away with an impatient hand, “Let’s see, shall we?” Sam picked up a golf ball sized stone and pitched it as hard as she could past the line of trees. It connected and sent a shimmering shockwave through the forcefield encircling them.

“Nicely done,” Julian nodded his approval, “A security field.”

“Its not perfect, but yeah. A fence.” She smiled, obviously pleased with herself, “The walls of it are about 15 feet high, but it should suffice. I figured it was better than a dome you know… incase we have a campfire.” 

“Campfire, right!” Julian repeated, jogging away, “Right. Yes! I’m on it!”

A couple of hours later their base camp was completely functional. Julian had indeed built a campfire that would have made his Starfleet field survival instructor proud. He had also managed to grab an emergency kit along with his med bag before the shuttle locked down. The blankets, field rations and water inside would see them comfortably through.

Sam had been singularly focused when they escaped the imploding shuttle, the meteor array. Fortunately, most of what she needed to observe the rare, natural wonder was still packed in her rucksack so all she had to do was grab it when she and Julian ran out the shuttle door.

Pity I wasn’t bright enough to grab my jacket too she thought ruefully as a shiver traced its way down her spine. Living so long on starships and space stations had made her soft with their convenient climate-controlled environments.

While Julian was setting up the camp, Sam set about assembling her equipment to observe the meteor array. True, it would have been far easier on the shuttle equipped with all kinds of technology that was designed to perfectly integrate and work together, but the challenge of having to rough it was fun. 

Maybe Julian’s enthusiasm for camping is rubbing off on me.

“How’s it coming along?” asked the doctor coming up behind her.

“Really well, actually, I’m almost finished,” she replied, “Will you hand me an ion coupler? I’ve got a spare in my bag.”

“Sure,” Julian riffled through the chaos of bits and bobs and after a search, produced the requested coupler. “This bag is about as organized as your lab.”

“You sound like O’Brien,” she grumbled, “There is nothing wrong with my organization, I always find what I am looking for.”

Julian had to laugh, Sam’s lab on Deep Space Nine was a bit of a running joke amongst the crew. Mad scientist meets hurricane aftermath was the current opinion. Even Odo had made the passing comment that the ships lost in the Gamma Quadrant were probably just buried under a stack of abandoned data PADDs. 

“Hey! You have a digital imager… I haven’t seen one of these since I was a kid!”

Sam glanced over and smiled shyly, “Yeah, I always bring cameras along on road trips. I know its old tech, but it does take beautiful pictures.”

“Yeah?” Julian grinned before snapping a picture of her.

“Hey!” Sam jumped up, trying to snag the camera from Julian’s hand only to have him hold it up high out of her reach.

“I’m only testing the equipment,” Julian protested with a laugh. “I found something else in your bag, Ms. MacKade.”

Sam planted her hands on her hips, “Oh?”

Julian arched an eyebrow and produced a silver flask from behind his back.

Surprise colored her features, “In my bag?”

“It came with a note,” he said, handing the flask and the accompanying card to her.

“Congratulations, from the Chief,” she read, smiling warmly, “That Irish charmer.”

Sam took a generous sip and passed it to Bashir who did the same.

“Oh,” he nodded appreciatively, “That’s from his private stock, single malt Irish whiskey. Ten year?”

She took another belt of whiskey and rolled the amber liquid around her mouth. “Twenty.”

Julian lifted the flask as she handed it back to him, “To the Chief!”

The sun set quickly on this planet, not like the long, gradual changes of light and color that had inspired the inhabitants of Earth for eons. Julian and Sam settled comfortably by the fire, the bland field rations made far more palatable by the chief’s whiskey. 

Sam laughed openly as Julian told her an animated story from his Med school days. “Oh, you’re kidding! Blue?”

“Head to toe,” Julian confirmed, throwing another log on the fire, “I was as blue as my uniform inset.” 

“Tell me there’s a picture.”

He looked away and mumbled, “Oh, I don’t know.”

Sam sat straight up, tantalized by the thought, “There is!”

“It was end of term. There was a gathering.”

“A party?” she guessed.

“A dance,” he corrected.

“Oh! Like a prom!”

“It was most definitely not a prom,” Julian said with a huff of indignation. “Starfleet does not have proms. It was simply a formal.”

“And you went to this definitely not a prom, dance, formal painted blue?”

Julian took a sip from the flask, “I was not painted, my skin changed color due to an unfortunate chemical reaction. And yes, I went. I had a date.”

“Oh right,” Sam nodded solemnly, “And was your date partial to blue?”

“Ah well, she was more partial to the color blue than she was to me,” he said, “She disappeared looking for the ladies’ room. I discovered her in the gardens sometime later, becoming intimately acquainted with my roommate.”

“Ugh! What a hussy!” Sam exclaimed in outrage.

Julian blinked rapidly, not quite sure he had heard her correctly, “Excuse me?”

“Sorry, I don’t care what color you dyed yourself, that’s just rude.” She said with authority. When he started to break up in genuine laughter, she got the impression it was not due to the memory. “What is it?”

“These 20th century colloquialisms of yours,” he replied, stifling his laughter, “Did everyone really talk like that in the 1990’s or just you?”

Sam shook her head, “I don’t use 20th century colloquialisms.”

“Oh, yes you do!” Julian exclaimed. “Hussy? Hot rod, Judas Priest… um, Daniel Boone, hells bells? Need I go on?”

She sulked and took a shot from the flask, “I don’t use them that often, and I stand by my original statement, she was a hussy.”

“Ah well, she did break every heart in the Med school dormitory by the end of the year so I suppose the 20th century had it right… she was a hussy.” Julian used a long stick to stoke the campfire flames. By mistake, he used his right arm. Still tender from being dislocated and forced back into place, it protested painfully.

Sam saw the grimace flicker across his handsome face, “Still bothering you?”

“Its not bad,” he assured her, “Just a bit stiff is all.”

Not satisfied with the answer, she leaned forward, “Can’t you have another hypo?”

“Rule one of doctoring in the rough; do not squander your supplies.” He flashed her a dashing grin, “A little stiffness is a small price to pay if it means being prepared for a real emergency.”

Sam considered him for a moment before standing up, “Take off your jacket.”

“What?”

“Take off your jacket,” she instructed again, positioning herself behind him, “I think I can help.”

Once the outer layer of uniform was gone, the doctor was left in the thin, turquoise blue undershirt. Sam rapidly rubbed her palms together, using the friction to build heat. Taking a calming breath, she laid her hands at the base of Julian’s neck. With the perfect amount of gentle pressure, she kneaded the tight muscles there.

Julian closed his eyes and groaned in appreciation as the tension melted away.

Keeping a moderate, flowing pace, she worked her way down his back. Being careful of his tender shoulder yet relieving all traces of pain. Following the path of her fingertips, Julian recognized the ancient technique. 

“Where did you learn meridian massage?”

“A friend of mine taught me,” she replied quietly, “A long time ago.”

The faraway tone of her voice indicated this was a 20th century friend, “What was your friend’s name?”

Sam paused at the question. “Her name was Mara,” she replied, continuing down his left bicep, “Dr. Amara Laghari. She was brilliant and gorgeous… just this exotic beauty. She looked like a princess from Arabian Nights.”

“A doctor? What was she a doctor of?” he asked.

“She held two doctorates. Computer science and astrophysics.”

Julian let out a low whistle, “Wow.”

“She was a wow. There weren’t many women in the sciences back then so when she came through on a lecturing tour, I had to meet her. I was so excited; it was like meeting a Rockstar and she couldn’t stand me.”

Julian chuckled along with her, “Never meet your heroes.”

“No kidding. She was this educated, sophisticated woman of the world and I was an 18-year-old kid with a big ideas, a big mouth and big, unjustified ego.” Sam worked her hands down Julian’s back, seeking out and releasing tension as she went. “I annoyed the hell out of her.”

“Sounds like the start of my friendship with Miles,” Julian commented, leaning into her healing touch, “He wasn’t too keen on me either. What changed her mind?”

“I hired her.”

Julian was astonished, “At 18?”

“I had managed to secure funding for my research, which was no small feat, let me tell you.” Sam’s mind traveled back to those early days in her scientific career. No one would even give her the time of day let alone the hefty sum of money required to make all the dreams she had reality. Fortunately, her determination outweighed her youth and attitude and the fates smiled. 

“But it came with stipulations, one of which was to find someone with the proper credentials to work with me, add legitimacy to the project. Also, no small feat.”

“Who wouldn’t want to work with you? You’re brilliant!”

“The esteemed scientific community of the 1990’s did not share your opinion. I was young and inexperienced. And they were a bunch of pompous, self-important, old windbags with boring ideas and no imagination,” she said in a huff.

“Don’t hold back, Sam,” Julian drawled, “Its not healthy to keep those emotions all bottled up.”

“It was a boys club,” Sam sighed as she carefully worked the muscles of his injured shoulder, “But the obstacles I faced in the States were nothing compared with what Mara had to put up with in Dubai. Two doctorates and best offer she got was as a research assistant. It was criminal.”

Julian shook his head, grateful that sexism and other ridiculous notions of prejudice amongst humanity had been firmly stomped out long ago. True, equality was never completely achieved, but progress had been made. Thanks in part to trailblazers like Sam and Mara. 

“So, the two of you took on the patriarchy!”

“Yup! We weren’t popular, but we had fun! I learned so much from her, including meridian massage. I used to spend days at a time in the lab, hunched over a computer screen. One day, I couldn’t stand up straight,” Sam smiled at the memory. “Mara gave me a stern lecture on proper posture and taught me about the meridians.”

“She taught you well,” Julian murmured. His whole body felt like it was floating.

“I’ve been thinking about her a lot,” Sam admitted. “I wish she could be here; she would have loved this.”

Julian looked over his shoulder to meet her gaze, “She is here.”

“You think so?”

“I do,” he nodded.

She suddenly felt very shy, aware of this man who was holding her fast with his soulful, eyes. Dark brown, flecked with gold. His shoulders, solid and well defined under her palms, radiated heat through the fabric of his shirt. Samantha had been well aware of Bashir’s appeal from the start, only a fool would deny it. He embodied the phrase Tall, dark and handsome. Years of tennis and racquetball lent him a graceful athleticism that turned heads whenever he strode down the Prominade. Yet it wasn’t his good looks that made Julian so attractive, it was his kindness. His seemingly bottomless well of compassion. And his smile, that dazzled and crinkled the corners of his eyes. Oh. No.

Sam cleared her throat uncomfortably, “How does your shoulder feel?”

“Fantastic. Your technique is flawless,” Julian praised, Dr. Laghari would be proud.”

“Good,” Sam said standing up, hoping the blush she could feel coloring her cheeks wasn’t visible in the firelight. “I’m going to go powder my nose… the whiskey.”

Julian watched her quickly disappear through the line of trees and bushes. The woman was an enigma. Every time he thought he had a handle on Samantha MacKade, she threw him a curveball. When she first came to the station, Julian was instantly smitten. Nothing new for the young doctor who fell in love every other week. Sam was a woman of mystery and Julian loved a good mystery. Despite the confident almost brazen way she conducted herself, Julian knew it to be a façade. A way to disguise an almost fragile vulnerability and protect herself. She was intelligent, funny and sexy as hell, but it was those rare glimpses of her tender heart that kept him fascinated. 

After the long day’s events and a good deal of Irish whiskey, the two bedded down for the night. Sam looked at Julian’s slumbering form on the opposite side of the campfire with envy. In spite of the crackling fire and the blanket from the E-Kit, she was freezing. The persistent chill of the crisp night air and the forest floor seeped into her bones. She shivered and pulled the blanket tight around herself. 

Damn this cold anyway! She thought bitterly. It was going to be a very long, sleepless night.

Julian was nearly asleep when he heard the strange rustling sound. With a ready hand on his phaser, he surveyed the inky darkness beyond the trees. Seeing nothing, but certain he had heard something, he was about to call over to Sam but quickly realized there was no need. The strange sound was coming from her blanketed mound.

Is she ill? Having a nightmare? Concerned, he sat up, “Sam?"

She didn’t respond, but he could now clearly hear the chattering of her teeth.

Sam was too focused on conserving what was left of her body heat to notice Julian had abandoned his place by the fire. The sudden of her precious, though inefficient, blanket allowed a blast of frigid, night air into her cocoon. 

“Hey!” she squeaked, “What the hell?!”

Julian quickly slid under the blanket and positioned himself so that he was plastered up against her back. “I’m not going to let you die from hypothermia,” he said, tucking his own blanket over hers so they were bundled together.

“I… I’m… I’m not… hypo… thermic,” she protested, her voice wavering while her whole frame shook. 

“Not yet, and I’m going to make sure you stay that way,” he told her as he roughly rubbed her arms and legs to encourage blood flow. “They probably heard your teeth chattering on the other side of the wormhole.”

“Sorry,” she muttered miserably. Julian had unzipped his uniform jacket, allowing his body heat to radiate more freely. It was glorious. “How is it you are so warm?”

“I can control my body temperature along with my heartrate and a variety of other automatic functions,” he explained matter-of-factly. “Its part of my genetic engineering.”

Sam had stopped shivering and yawned, instantly drowsy now that Julian had banished the cold. “Well, my compliments to Adigeon Prime. You’re like a furnace.”

“It was part of the package deal,” Julian quipped, “My parents decided against the non-stick coating though. The upcharge was outrageous!”

“Oh, so you’re one of those funny doctors?”

“Sure am,” he returned as he continued to massage her arms, “Just ask my patients… I keep them in stitches!”

Sam groaned at the terrible pun, “Oh my god.”

“I wasn’t even sure I’d make it as a surgeon, but then I made the first cut…”

“Seriously?” Sam rolled her eyes.

“Have you heard the one about the conversation between the brain surgeon and the anesthesiologist?” he asked, thoroughly enjoying himself. “It was mind-numbing!”

“These jokes are older than I am,” Sam grumbled, obviously not impressed with his medical humor.

“Now that I find hard to believe.”

“Julian. Shut up.”

He only laughed in response.


	4. Hikes and Heart to Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Its a new day and Sam has some questions for Dr. Bashir, but should she ask them?

Sam woke up to the faint strains of birdsong. The first blush of sunlight broke though the canopy of trees, gradually lighting the campsite. She felt wonderful, relaxed and unbelievably comfortable in her make-shift sleeping bag. 

The doctor may have a point about sleeping under the stars, she thought with a lazy smile. 

She would have been quite content to stay cocooned under the blankets for another hour, but her bladder protested. It was only when she tried to sit up that she remembered she wasn’t alone. Julian was still snuggled up behind her, snoring softly. His left arm was wrapped around her ribcage, brushing just under her breasts. She tried to extract herself without waking him only to have him grumble in his sleep and tighten his grip.

The doctor proved stronger than she thought, his arm was like a band of steel anchoring her to him, “Julian?”

The man didn’t budge. She tried three more times before changing tactics. “Doctor!”

Julian woke with a start, thinking he had fallen asleep at his desk. “Yes.. yes! I’m up, yes!”

“Morning, Starshine,” Sam quipped dryly.

Once he became aware that he wasn’t in the middle of a medical emergency, Julian’s eyes drifted shut again and he stretched out like a cat, “Mmmm…. Morning.”

“Did you sleep well?”

“Very well, wonderful,” he took a deep, satisfying breath of sweet, fresh air, “You?”

“Oh, I slept like a baby.”

“Mmmm,” he murmured into her ear, allowing himself to exist in that floaty space that wasn’t quite awake. “Good.”

“Julian?”

“Hmmm?”

“Would you mind letting me go?”

Sam’s words registered in his mind and he was suddenly fully awake. His eyes shot open and aware of the warm, feminine form he was spooning. He quickly released her and sat up, embarrassment colored his cheeks, “Sorry! I, uh…”

Sam chuckled, “No worries, doctor; you did your job well. No hypothermia, no frostbite.” She patted his shoulder and stood. Giving her back a good stretch, she headed off to find a private spot.

When she came back, Julian was up and moving efficiently around the camp. The bedding had been neatly folded and tucked away, a tidy fire was going, and a make-shift kettle was suspended above the flames. He looked up with a delighted grin, “Ah! There you are! Would you like a cup of tea?”

Sam rubbed her arms and was once again regretting the lack of a coat. She sat down on a log that was pulled closer to the fire, “Tea would be amazing.”

Julian pulled the kettle off the fire and poured steaming water into two cups that presumably had been part of the E-Kit. He dropped in a small satchel before handing one of the cups to her.   
She held the hot cup in both hands, enjoying the warmth. The spice-scented steam that wafted up was very familiar, “Is this Tarkalean Tea?”

“I always bring along an emergency supply just in case,” Julian sat down next to her and savored his own tea, “Nothing like a good cuppa in the morning.”

“Emergency supply?”

“I tucked a few tea bags into the E-Kit,” he replied, looking quite pleased with himself. “I do every time I go on an away mission.”

Sam looked at him over the rim of her cup, “All part of the Starfleet Field Survival manual, I’m sure.”

“One of the more lesser known chapters,” he replied with a wink. “Now, your array is not due to appear for another nine hours, your mini observatory is completely set up and prepared to record every bit of data. Campsite is secure thanks to your forcefield fence. We’ve done our chores… I say we go play.”

“Play?” she repeated.

“Explore! This planet may not have even been discovered yet, certainly not by humans,” Julian said, excitement radiating from his animated face, “We could very well be the first humans to set foot on this planet! Let’s get out there and chart some alien wilderness!”

She arched an eyebrow at the doctor, “I could be tempted to leave camp, briefly, on one condition.”

“What?”

“Breakfast,” she said, her tone serious, “I can’t be expected to chart a planet on a single cup of tea.”

Julian led the way through the thick forest, he had come across a natural trail when he set up the sensors the previous afternoon. It was a lazy, winding path that gradually worked its way down to the valley floor. Samantha watched her companion with fascination, he was easily the most graceful individual she had ever observed. He moved like a cat, his long limbs gave him every advantage as he climbed over boulders and held low-slung branches out of their way. He never broke his stride, never broke a sweat, never seemed to labor for breath even though she herself could feel the effects of a thinner atmosphere, however slightly. He chattered away, going on about a mission he had been on with Miles that went askew, as so many of them did. Completely unaware of the physical challenge the terrain presented, lovely though it was. 

A sudden thought struck her, “Julian, may I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“Are you glad your parents took you to Adigeon Prime?”

Julian nearly tripped over an exposed tree root in his path, “Excuse me?”

Sam’s eyes widened in embarrassment. “Oh! I’m sorry… that’s rude, isn’t it?”

“No,” he shook his head, trying to regain his bearings, “Not at all, it’s just… not what I expected.”

“It was rude. Unforgivably rude,” she said quickly, “Forget I asked.”

“It wasn’t rude at all, its just that no one has ever asked me that before,” Julian explained. “Most people don’t want to talk about my genetic modifications. Or about genetic engineering at all, really.”

Sam cocked her head to the side, “I know, but I don’t really get it. I mean, why?”

“There was that whole little interlude called the Eugenics wars, maybe you’ve heard of it?”

“Yes, of course I have but… that was over a hundred years ago. And that was due to the actions of one man,” Sam pointed out.

“One man with genetic enhancements that made him nearly unstoppable. Genetic engineering for anything other than to correct life-threatening birth defects is illegal, and with good reason,” Julian intoned, repeating the words he had heard so many times in his life. 

“But that is a backwards logic,” Sam pressed, with an emphatic shake of her head, “That is to say that he the changes he went through turned him into a Frankenstein’s monster. That the genetics, the science are to blame.”

“Aren’t they?” Julian asked, bitterly. 

“Of course not! They are merely a tool; it’s how they’re used that matters. To say otherwise completely discounts everything that makes us human the first place,” she said passionately.

“There are those who believe to deliberately change one’s genetic structure removes that humanity,” he replied, melancholy seeping through his words.

“That’s ridiculous,” Sam scoffed, hopping over a downed tree trunk, “Doesn’t it strike you as a bit of a medieval point of view? Science and medicine being looked at as the work of the Devil.”

“Maybe, but the morality of changing genetic structure has been debated for centuries,” Julian said giving Sam a hand up over a patch of rough terrain, “Is it fair to allow anyone and everyone to manipulate their DNA in order to get a leg up? It would be like opening Pandora’s box; everyone would go in for an upgrade and not all of them would have noble aspirations.” 

“Your aspirations were noble,” she countered. “And what about all the other people out there that are like you?”

“Well, I’ve met some of them,” he replied, the group of augmented outcasts flashed in his mind, “Unfortunately, they suffered terrible side effects as a result of botched genetic tampering. Yet another reason it has been outlawed, I was just one of the lucky ones.”

“That’s more backwards logic. Because its illegal, there is no regulation. If the Federation were to legalize it, then those procedures would receive proper research, they wouldn’t be conducted by unqualified doctors and thus those terrible side effects would be far less common.” Sam said passionately, “And what about those people whose genetic re-engineering was a success? People like you?”

“What about them?” Julian asked, impatience seeping into his voice, “Presumably, they are out there, living their lives in secret. Never really living up to their full potential for fear of discovery. Holding a bit of themselves back every day, even from their friends, from the very people they love because they know that if they ever revealed the true extent of their abilities, they would lose everything. They can never be known, Samantha. Never.” 

Julian held Sam’s eyes with his own solemn gaze. She could see the heartbreak reflected within and it pulled at her. Maybe she should have left well enough alone. The subject had obviously caused him plenty of inner conflict and pain, yet she pressed the matter. It had been callous of her to pry and she regretted it. And that remorse turned sour in her stomach.

“Am I glad my parents took me to Adigeon Prime? I don’t know,” he confessed, “The plain fact is I would never have realized my dream of becoming a doctor without it. I would never have been accepted into Starfleet, would never have been assigned to DS9. But in many ways, this life of mine only exists because the one I had before was sacrificed to achieve it. My relationship with my parents has never recovered from that decision.”

“Your father ended up serving a sentence because of it, didn’t he?” she asked when Julian fell silent.

He nodded; it was still hard to come to terms with that. “It allowed me to keep my position and to continue practicing medicine, but it certainly didn’t make being found out any easier. Many people didn’t want to be treated by an augment, so they would only come to the Infirmary when I wasn’t there. If they came at all. My colleagues began to avoid me, invitations to speak at medical conferences stopped, any research papers I tried to publish were rejected.”

Sam took hold of Julian’s hand and gave it a supportive squeeze, “That’s horrible.”

Julian squeezed her hand in return and kept a hold of it, “There were many times when I wondered if it was worth it. My father was in prison so that I could keep on being a doctor and I was blocked at every turn from doing just that.” 

“How did you get through it?”

The corner of his mouth quirked, “Stubbornness. Once people figured out I wasn’t going anywhere, they began to come around. Plus, the unwavering support of my friends. They stood by me when the universe seemed to abandon me.”

“Is it better now that they know?” Sam asked quietly, “Easier because you don’t have to hold back?”

“I still do some days,” he confessed, “Out of habit or out of the desire to fit in. Just a bit. I still see that look when I do something a bit too perfectly, rattle off some mathematical equation with unnatural speed. They don’t mean to but, it still happens.”

They walked along in reflective silence for a while, the only sound was the river rushing past and a pair of birds calling in the distance. When they came to a clearing that showcased a gorgeous waterfall emptying into a pool of crystal-clear water, they paused. The pure, natural beauty washed over them, and their spirits began to lift.

“Julian?” The doctor looked over at her quizzically. She didn’t meet his gaze but instead looked out at the water as she spoke. “You never have to hold your abilities back with me. I can’t promise not to be impressed or annoyed, but I’ll never turn away.”

The proclamation may have been a simple one, but she was the only person in his life to actually say it out loud. Although his friends had stood by him, none of them really talked about his genetic engineering. To them, it was best to carry on as if it didn’t exist, as if nothing had changed. It was their attempt at normalcy, and he was grateful for it. Yet in this moment, he realized that it had also been a denial. A denial for them and a denial for him. In talking about it openly with Sam, he felt something release. Like a breath he wasn’t aware he had been holding. He couldn’t seem to find the words he needed to properly express this to her, so he opted for simplicity as well.

He swallowed the unexpected emotion that bubbled up in this throat, and murmured, “Thank you.”


	5. When You Wish Upon a Star

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After 900 years, the Pentara Meteor Array appears! Its beauty inspires and ignites... whether our pair is comfortable with that or not.

Julian surveyed the serene lagoon with approval. The breeze was warm and the dappled sunlight played off of the sparkling water making the secluded pool look almost enchanted. “Beautiful,” he said filling his lungs with crisp mountain air. “Come on, lets go for a dip!”

Sam blinked in surprise, “Excuse me?”

He was already kicking off his Starfleet issue boots and socks, “We will never find a better spot for a swim. Calm waters, sunshine, no predatory wildlife. Perfect.” He shrugged out of his jacket and rid himself of the teal blue undershirt. He paused when he noticed Sam had not budged, “What’s wrong?”

“I didn’t exactly bring my bikini, Julian.” She replied, crossing her arms across her chest.

Julian Bashir had never been bashful when it came to the human form. Or any form for that matter. Pursuing a career in medicine meant appreciating the natural state in a far more scientific fashion. Samantha MacKade was a fantastic athlete in her own right and kept herself remarkably fit. She had nothing to be ashamed of in the human form department. Even so, a hot, pink flush was quickly creeping up her neck and colored her cheeks. 

“Oh! A bikini… how provocative!” he teased, waggling his eyebrows at her, enjoying her obvious embarrassment.

“Julian!”

“Ms. MacKade, I am a doctor and a gentleman. I assure you; I won’t be looking at you with a salacious eye.”

“Yeah well, you’re also a man,” she scoffed, spinning him around to face away from her.

He laughed, “Oh, you noticed!”

“Forgive me my 20th century modesty,” she muttered, quickly stripping out of her favorite pair of scuffed boots and navy-blue jumpsuit. Thank god I wore something practical and black, she thought, looking down at her racer-back sports bra and matching bottoms. 

“This is so stupid… what if the Jem’Hadar show up?”

“Well if the sight of Samantha MacKade in her skivvies doesn’t send them running for the hills, nothing will.” Julian quipped over his shoulder. 

Sam swatted him on his bare shoulder, “Eyes front.”

He chuckled, but complied. A moment later, he heard the tell-tale sound of his modest companion diving into the water. When he turned around, she bobbed up through the surface and grinned at him. He grinned back and peeled off his uniform pants leaving only his boxers. Julian took the water at a run, slicing below the surface with fluidity and popping up right beside her. They treaded water easily, something in the molecular structure of this water made them particularly buoyant. 

Sam gently kicked her legs, reveling in the sensation of the warm water. “This is lovely. The temperature is perfect!”

“Must be a hot spring on the lake floor,” Julian reasoned. “Mother nature’s jacuzzi.”

“When was the last time you went swimming? The real thing, no Holosuite.”

“Risa,” he answered easily, “The Temtibi Lagoon. The sunsets there are spectacular, the whole sky turns this fantastic shade of pink. Like candy floss.”

“Yeah, everyone seems to love Risa,” Sam said, dipping her head backwards so she could wet her hair and slick it back away from her face.

“It’s a tropical paradise with perfect weather and very welcoming natives,” he replied, pushing away from her. He flipped onto his back and took a few long strokes around the pool, gazing up at the sky. “What’s not to like?”

“I dunno, it’s just a bit too… obvious.” She wrinkled her nose, “Intimacy as an exhibition, not for me.” Sam suddenly felt something brush by her ankle and she let out a startled yelp.

Julian swam back to her, “What’s wrong?”

She kicked her feet, thinking whatever it was had gone, then it came by again. Several feather-light brushes skittered past her lower back, causing her to bite back a scream, “There is something in this water!”

The lake was crystal clear and as Julian peered into the depths, he could see a school of tiny neon-yellow fish circle around her waist. There must have been about fifty or so of them, darting around, winding through her legs no matter how she kicked. They all had elongated fins that functioned like plumes, and each pass they made caused Sam to wriggle around in giggling agony.

Sam grasped Julian’s arms for balance, laughing, “Oh my god!”

He laughed in response, “I had no idea you were so ticklish!”

“I’m just a … a little… sensitive!” she breathed, trying to swat the fish away.

Julian couldn’t help being amused, she looked utterly ridiculous fighting fish that were no bigger than his comm-badge. “You know, being ticklish is really just an autonomous sensory meridian response. It evolved as part of a defense mechanism to protect vulnerable areas of the body.”

At last, the fish seemed to lose interest and disappeared deep into the water. Sam tried to regain her composure and catch her breath, “You don’t say.”

“Of course, there is another theory that tickling encourages social bonding,” he grinned widely and sliced his finger across her stomach.

She gasped and tried to wiggle away, “Stop it!”

Her laughing protests only proved to bring on more attacks from the doctor who had a knack for finding every vulnerable spot. Good lord he’s fast! She thought as she tried to counter-attack.

He only seemed more entertained by her efforts as he batted away her hands, “Oh that won’t work on me, Samantha MacKade. I’m not ticklish!”

Sam splashed in the water, desperately trying to escape Julian’s deft fingers, “Oh! You… you are a wicked, wicked man!”

“Wickedly entertaining? Wickedly handsome!”

“Try again!” she laughed and finally succeeded in escaping. Sam was a strong swimmer, always had been. She found just the right angle and slipped out of the doctor’s roving arms and pushed herself back several feet. With a glint of challenge in her eyes, she disappeared under the water so smoothly that there was barely a ripple.

Julian waited a few moments, and when she didn’t resurface, he called her name. Just a hint of worry edged into his voice, “Sam?”

Her voice sounded from far away, “Over here!”

He looked around the deserted lake in confusion, “Where are you?”

“I’m behind the waterfall! Come on, there’s a fantastic cave back here!”

Julian was no slouch in the swimming department either, he dove beneath the surface and slipped under the waterfall. He popped up on the opposite side just in time to witness Sam pulling herself effortlessly out of the water onto the rock ledge that jutted out from the mouth of a cave. 

Not so shy any more, he noted as she stood, droplets of water running down her incredibly long, smooth legs. Under the watchful eye of Deanna Troi and himself, Sam had recovered nicely from the trauma she experienced on the Cardassian prison ship. Regular counseling and regular meals proved a winning combination and it showed now that she was back to her proper weight. Perhaps even a couple of pounds heavier than when she first came to the station, but not an ounce of it was wasted on her slender frame. Instead, it lent a delightful flare to her hips and a rounded curve to her backside. As she stood there, wringing the excess water from her waist-length hair, Julian felt himself stir and he was suddenly grateful to still be in the water.

She looked over her shoulder and arched an eyebrow, “You coming, Bashir?”

He cleared his throat, “Right behind you.” 

The cave behind the waterfall didn’t really go back all that far, a few hundred feet maybe. But the ceiling was so incredibly high it was barely visible from the ground level. It arched up like a cathedral. Sam activated the torchlight on her wrist device and illuminated the cavern, the light bounced off the walls which were lined with an iridescent, almost pearl-like substance. The space lit with soft rainbows on every surface. 

“Oh wow,” she breathed.

Julian came up behind her, craning his neck as he surveyed the space, “Beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Sam reached out a hand and touched the wall, it was smooth and cool to the touch, “Its like the inside of a seashell.”

Julian walked a few paces into the cave and found several spheres scattered across the ground. About the size of tennis balls, varied in color and seemed to be made from the same substance that coated the walls. He reached down and picked up one that was a particularly pretty shade of blush pink. 

“This should make a fine addition to your rock collection,” he said, handing her the over-sized pearl.

Sam took the petal pink gem and ran it over in her hands, “And just how do you know about my collection?”

“Because you have pieces of it everywhere. Every shelf and table top in your quarters, your lab it littered with them. You even have two pieces of morganite in your rucksack.”

Sam met his humor filled gaze and smiled shyly, “It’s a tradition. My family traveled around a lot when I was growing up and my Dad picked up a stone everywhere we went. He said it would ensure that we return one day.”

Charmed by the idea, Julian smiled, “Like tossing a coin in the Trevi fountain.”

“Something like that.” 

They continued to explore the small cave, finding several more pearls. There was no vegetation of any kind, but towards the very back sat a peculiar object, or creature, rather. It was as big as a dom jot table and looked like a snail without its shell. Sam crouched down and peered closely, wishing she hadn’t left her tricorder in her jumpsuit back on shore. 

“For God’s sake, don’t touch it,” Julian cautioned. “It might be poisonous.”

“I’m not going to touch it,” she muttered, stopping herself from reaching out a hand. She opted for the next best thing, pursing her lips together, she gently blew. The creature instantaneously shivered and curled up, slithering down a thin crack in the cave floor. A moment later the whole cavern quaked. Sam was thrown off balance and landed on her backside with a grunt. “Oh hell!”

Julian could see the walls visibly shake and the pearls scattered across the floor, some of them even rolling off into the water. He hoisted Sam to her feet, “We’ve got to get out of here!”

They struggled to keep their footing against the massive quakes yet managed to get to the water’s edge and dove in just as the ceiling came down. A few moments later they popped up on the other side of the waterfall. What had been a mildly warm pool with not so much as a ripple was now rough, choppy water that was turning cold. Sam and Julian swam with every bit of strength against the waves, barely making it to shore. 

“Are you alright?” asked Julian as he tried to catch his breath.

Sam nodded, then pointed excitedly behind him, “Julian, look!”

The doctor turned back to the water and saw the cliff that created the waterfall collapse, sending violent waves through the lagoon. Through the mist, he could now see what looked like a giant shell where the cave would have been. It was oblong and black, not unlike a mollusk. It snapped its gaping mouth shut and disappeared under the water. A moment later, a faint rumbling in the ground could be felt, as if something were burrowing deep under the surface.

When at last the clearing was silent and still, the pair looked at each other and broke into hysterical laughter. 

“You just had to, didn’t you? You just had to poke the bear!” 

“It wasn’t a bear, it was a giant clam,” Sam wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes, “Oh my god, we were almost eaten by calamari!”

“Calamari doesn’t have a shell,” Julian shook his head in utter amusement, “No wonder those pearls were so big. You know, Quark could have made a small fortune off a treasure like that.”

Sam only grinned at him and produced the pearl he had given her from behind her back. 

“You kept hold of it?!”

She tossed it up in the air and caught it as if it were Sisko’s baseball. “Of course. My collection just wouldn’t be complete without a pearl from the giant oyster that almost ate us.”

It was nearly dusk when they got back to the campsite. The fire was good and stoked and their undergarments hung over a branch to dry. Julian, tired of seeing Sam shiver, lent her his uniform jacket which wasn’t a terrible fit except for the sleeve length. Even so, she had to roll them over twice in order for her hands to be free. Sam had spent the past hour fussing over her make-shift observatory and now even that task was complete. All there was to do now was wait. She sat on a log near the fire, working the tangles from her damp hair. Julian was deep into yet another story from his med school days. She tried to focus on what he was saying but her mind kept wandering away. What if the Bajorans got it wrong? What if my calculations are off? What if the equipment had been damaged in the crash? Would it even be strong enough to pick it up through the atmosphere? 

When Julian paused in his story and when he didn’t receive the customary passing comment he looked over and saw Sam lost in thought. “And that’s when I killed him.”

Sam blinked out of her daze, “What?!”

He thought about teasing her for not paying attention, but took mercy instead, “What has you looking so worried?”

“Nothing! Its just,” she fiddled with her wrist device, “It should have started by now.”

“What? The array?”

“What if I got it wrong? Maybe I translated those texts wrong,” she shook her head and bit her lip, “We could be in the wrong place all together.”

“I went over your calculations personally, they seemed perfectly sound,” he reassured her, “Have a little faith, the Bajorans did.”

“The Bajorans… they had more faith than the entire Alpha Quadrant put together.” 

Suddenly, one of her monitors began to beep. Sam jumped up, excitement building as she scanned the information pouring in. There is was, working beautifully, readings of all kinds scrolled across the screen and were recorded for later analysis. Soon, every bit of equipment was lit up, working just as she intended it to. Months of sweat, tears, hard work and planning all came together in perfect, scientific harmony. 

Julian let out a low whistle from behind her, “Will you look at that…”

Sam glanced over her shoulder and quickly saw what had her companion so impressed. The night sky was lit with hundreds of falling stars. They turned from silver to shades of blue, purple and red as they burned up in the atmosphere. The clouds soon turned colors too, swirling like the northern lights on Earth. The whole sky was the most brilliant display of color and light, unlike anything either of them had seen. Sam stood up from her machines and gaped up at the show overhead. 

“Oh,” she breathed in utter awe, “Oh… that’s incredible.”

“This is how the array is meant to be observed,” Julian commented, watching the show, “We should send a thank you note to the Jem’Hadar for crashing our shuttle.”

When Sam didn’t respond, he stole a glance at her and found she was watching the meteor shower as if it were a miracle. Her face awash in wonder, her green eyes shimmering with unshed tears. This wasn’t the first time he had seen her so moved by the stars, her first trip though the wormhole had affected her much the same way. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave her an affectionate squeeze. She sniffled and blinked away the tears, her arm came around his ribcage and she smiled. 

“The ancient Greeks believed that meteor showers were due to the gods peeling back the veil of the heavens to look down on humanity,” Julian said, his rich baritone voice dipping low, “Thus, wishing on a shooting star was more effective because the gods could hear you better. What did the ancient Bajorans say?”

“They couldn’t agree,” Sam murmured.

“How unlike them,” he dryly commented.

“Yeah,” she chuckled, “Half of them said that the meteor array was the path of destiny laid out by the Prophets. To be present when it appeared was a sure sign that you were on your way to spiritual enlightenment and prosperity.”

“And the other half?”

Sam shrugged, “Tears of the gods.”

Julian only shook his head, “I think I’ll stick with the Greeks.”

They watched the painting of the sky for nearly an hour before it began to slowly fade and the falling of the stars slowed. Feeling as though she were on cloud nine, Sam held her arms out wide and spun in a circle. “How did I end up here, how did we end up here? Two humans, 30,000 lightyears from Earth. Travel through the only stable wormhole in the galaxy, crash land on an uncharted planet and witness stars falling through the sky that are only visible once every 900 years!” 

He knew exactly how she felt, he had that same feeling the first time he set foot on DS9. It was like winning the lottery, to realize a dream like that. The number of things that had to fall into place, it boggled the mind. 

She stopped and gave him a delighted look, like a child on Christmas morning, “Thank you for being here. It was far too beautiful witness on my own.”

Julian found himself transfixed. Here was the real Samantha MacKade. Vibrant, filled with exuberance for life, her eyes unguarded and shining like jewels in the firelight. No verbal barbs or sparing, no sarcasm. Just the utter joy of discovery and wonder of seeing a miracle. She glowed with it brighter than any star that blazed across the sky. 

“The honor is mine.”

Sam tapped the command panel and looked up. “There is one more star coming through, last one,” she said searching the atmosphere.

Julian spotted it first and pointed it out, “There!”

She followed the line of his arm and saw the long-tailed star shoot across the black of night. It looked so similar to ones back home, combined with being outside on an actual planet, she could almost believe she was back on Earth. “We should make a wish.”

Julian was no longer aware of the star, only of the extraordinary woman by his side. When she looked up and met his gaze, he reached out and traced a single finger down her cheek, tucking a few silky strands of hair back behind her ear. She froze, her incredible emerald eyes widened and turned soft.

They both paused, knowing that there was an invisible yet very real line that was about to be crossed. Was it wise? Was it inevitable? 

Sam was caught and her heart quickened. She could feel her own desire rising to meet his. No one had ever looked at her like that before, equal parts tenderness and passion. His touch, so very gentle yet it ignited a burning within that she could not ignore. He was asking the question without uttering a word. 

Her answer was to close her eyes and lean into his touch.

Julian threaded his fingers through her hair and caressed the nape of her neck, he dipped his head down to brush his lips against hers and stopped just short when an insistent alarm started to sound.

Sam’s eyes flew open and she stared up into his darkened gaze. As if waking from a spell. She swallowed and took an unsteady breath, “The… the shuttle is ready.”

Like an enchantment that had been broken, the moment was gone. She extracted herself from Julian’s grasp and quickly turned away and busied herself with the monitors.

The doctor stood there, dumbfounded for a moment. Not entirely sure what had happened, he cleared his throat and tried to bring his racing pulse under control. He recognized the look in her eyes just before she tore herself away. Panic. Yet he had no idea why. 

“Samantha… I’m sorry, I....” 

“It’s alright, there’s nothing to be sorry for,” she replied not looking up.

Julian sighed, kicking himself for obviously making a mistake, “I misjudged. I thought you felt as I did.”

“You didn’t.”

He frowned in confusion, “I didn’t?”

Sam finally stood and looked briefly into his face. Unable to stand the sting of rejection she saw lurking there, she quickly turned away. “Misjudge, I mean. You didn’t misjudge I just… can’t.”

“Can’t?” he repeated, drawing close enough to her to see the conflict flicker across her features. “But why? I don’t understand.”

“I just can’t,” she said again, the words turning bitter in her mouth, “Believe me, its better this way.”

Julian took her gently by the shoulders to still her actions and face him. He could feel the heartbreak rolling off her, but he was at a loss as to why. “You tell me its better this way with tears in your eyes? Because it doesn’t seem that way to me.”

Maybe it was pride maybe it was stubbornness, but she lifted her chin a notch and met his gaze squarely, “Tears or no tears, its still true.”

“Samantha…”

She cut him off, afraid that he might be able to sway her from what she knew was the best decision for them both. “I’m going to go check on the shuttle, are you good to pack up here?”

“You can’t go back to the shuttle tonight,” he protested, “You won’t be able to find your way, its pitch black.”

“I’ve got my torchlight,” she replied, already striding off towards the crash site, “Besides, the array is finished and the shuttle is ready for repairs, we’ve no reason to linger.”

Julian only shook his head wordlessly as he watched her disappear past the tree line. Something had happened neither of them had expected and while it excited him, it panicked her. She ran. It wasn’t the first time, and as Counselor Troi pointed out, running was something Sam did well. Well, running never solved anything as far as he was concerned. He would give her a few minutes head start, a bit of breathing room and then follow her. It wouldn’t do either of them any good if the contrary woman ended up lost or worse just trying to avoid him. Besides, the Starfleet field manual was very clear on situations like this, sticking together is always the best option.


	6. Where Do We Go From Here?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The shuttle is accessible once again, but that doesn't mean the road to home will be an easy one.

Sam would have run all the way back to the shuttle if she could have. As it was, the moderately brisk pace she set was difficult to keep. The uneven terrain proved to be a real challenge in the dark, her wrist light bounced off trees and brush and did little to illuminate her path. She kept tripping over rocks and branches, and her own foolish stubbornness wouldn’t let her turn back to camp. Back to Julian. Truth be told, it wasn’t stubbornness. It was cowardice. This was a classic fight or flight response and she took the later. 

She dashed the hot tears from her eyes, refusing to let them fall. Be strong MacKade, he’s just a man! Even as the thought formed, she knew it was a lie. He was more than that. A man was easy to refuse if she had a mind to. They were a dime a dozen and certainly no threat to a woman like her. But this was Julian, her friend, someone she cared deeply for. When he held her in his arms, something changed. Maybe that wasn’t quite true, maybe it had always been there... it really didn’t matter because now that she was aware of it she was determined to put a stop to it. 

It was her own fault; she could see that now. She knew. The minute she left the Enterprise she knew she could never let anyone get close to her again. Leaving her found family was like tearing out a piece of her own heart, easily the hardest thing she had ever done. It was necessary of course, the only other option was to lose them, as she did everyone. She never could have survived that. So, in going to DS9 getting close to anyone was never going to be in the cards. Better that way. Yet despite her best efforts, she did. She got close, let herself lose sight of her purpose and she hurt a wonderful man in the process. Damn my foolish heart anyway! She’d wanted him. Damn it. Wanted him the same way she knew he wanted her. If she were being honest, nothing in her life had ever felt as right as his touch. And it terrified her. For as hard as it was to leave the Enterprise, she wasn’t entirely sure she would have the strength to leave Julian Bashir. 

She made better time than she thought, or perhaps she’d misjudged the distance to the shuttle. Either way, it was there just a few feet ahead, gleaming white, emergency lights glowing.

The forcefield indeed had dropped now that it was safe and so she entered. She went straight to the main control panel. To her satisfaction, she found that most of the self-repair protocols she and Chief O’Brien had installed worked. The warp core breach was effectively sealed, the nav-com system was up and the propulsions were back online. 

Sam heard footsteps approach the shuttle, obviously Julian had decided to follow her. Probably a smart move, certainly smarter than she had been taking off alone in the dark. She was about to tell him so when something stopped her. There was something in the cadence of those footsteps that wasn’t quite right. Julian was the most graceful man alive; this didn’t sound like him at all. 

When the shuttle door hissed open, Sam didn’t turn, but instead used the reflection in the front view screen like a rear-view mirror. The burry image of a huge Jem’Hadar solider sent a feeling of dread to her stomach and stopped her cold. She had never encountered a Jem’Hadar before, but knew that it was unlikely she could take one on successfully in hand to hand combat. Think! Its what you’re best at! Outsmart the devil!

Still facing forward, she let her fingers move efficiently over the control panel as she spoke, “We’re in luck Julian! Looks like the shuttle is in better shape than we thought…”

“Step away from the controls,” the warrior growled.

Moving very slowly and deliberately, Sam turned to face the massive solider but didn’t move away from the panel. Standing there, she forced a calm she certainly didn’t feel, “You’re not Julian.”

He swayed slightly as he stood in the middle of the shuttle. He eyes were glazed and the blue-gray veins under the skin of his reptilian face bulged. There was something very wrong. He looked unhinged, almost feral. He pointed a phaser riffle at her, “Move away.”

Ever so slowly, Sam let her hand drift down to the control panel. Never taking her eyes off the Jem’Hadar, she felt the correct button under her fingers, “Sorry, but I can’t do that.”

Just when it looked like he was going to lunge at her, she pushed the button and pulled her feet up from the floorboards in one swift move. A powerful electrical current ran though the hull of the shuttle and electrocuted the soldier where he stood. From her perch on the insulated dashboard, she was safe from the current. When she inputted the command to shut down the circuit, he fell to the floor with a loud thump and did not move. 

Gingerly, she lowered herself to the floor and approached the body. When he still didn’t move, she made a run for it. Opening the shuttle door, she was two steps outside when another Jem’Hadar intercepted her. He sneered and opened his mouth to speak. There was the distinct sound of a phaser blast, and he fell dead at her feet. 

Julian was sprinting up to her from a few feet behind the Jem’Hadar. His phaser was drawn and still glowed slightly from being discharged. “Are you alright?” he asked, taking a visual assessment of the surrounding area. Where there was one Jem’Hadar, there was always another.

Sam nodded rapidly, “There is another one in the shuttle, I’m pretty sure he’s dead.”

Seeing no further threat outside, Julian entered the runabout. The soldier was still there, the faint smell of burnt metal hung in the air and a wisp of smoke drifted up from the body. Julian knelt and confirmed what was obvious. “Dead. Electrocuted?”

“I charged the hull with an electric pulse,” she confirmed, “I wasn’t sure if it would actually kill him or not.”

“Smart.” Julian stood and took measure of the woman standing so calmly next to a dead body. He knew her aversion to killing and how much it must have cost her to do so. “They were going though Ketracel-white withdrawal,” he said at length, “That’s why they looked so… wild. They would have been in agony. Death is a kindness.”

“Did you come across any others on your way here?”

Julian shook his head as he went to the control panel and set the computer to scan the surrounding area for warp signature, “No, just those two but you can bet there are more. There always are. We need to free up the landing gear and get the hell out of here before their brothers coming looking for them.”

Romantic awkwardness forgotten for the moment, both Sam and Julian worked together to prepare the shuttle for departure. Thanks to the Chief’s modifications, repairs were either already completed or repaired to the point that they wouldn’t hinder their escape. A few blasts with the phaser riffle released the landing gear from the ground and they were ready to leave within minutes.

“Julian,” Sam called him over the com panel, “I’m picking up another ship, about nine hundred kilometers north of here.”

Julian peered over her shoulder, “That must be them. Looks like they crashed as well or sustained heavy damage of some sort. How many life signs?”

“About twenty or so. Five with the ship the rest spreading out through the forest.” She said scanning the information pouring in.

“Typical size for a Jem’Hadar battalion.”

“They are kind wandering aimlessly. Do you think they all are going though withdrawal?” 

“Probably. Once they run out of their supply of white they tend to deteriorate quickly. Unfortunate for them, but it might just give us the head start we need.” He took the pilot seat and glanced over, “We ready to go?”

Sam’s fingers moved quickly and efficiently over the com, “Yup. Warp drive online, navigation, propulsion. Let’s blow this popsicle stand.”

The doctor chuckled at yet another 20th century colloquialism and punched in a few commands. “Oh, I almost forgot.”

The sound of the transporter had Sam turning in her seat. There in the middle of the runabout floor was all her equipment that she had left behind at the campsite. Her eyes widened, in the chaos, she had forgotten all about her research. Obviously, he had not.

She turned her questioning gaze to Julian who merely shrugged, “900 years is a long time to wait for the next meteor array.”

The twenty-five-hour trip back to DS9 was a quiet one. Sam spent most of her time completing repairs to the residual damage sustained during the crash. It wouldn’t make facing Miles O’Brien any easier, but it helped keep her mind occupied. The data collected during the meteor shower sat untouched. She just couldn’t quite bring herself to look at it, not yet. It was a detailed, albeit scientific record of that night. Her equipment had documented every fluctuation in atmosphere, recorded the trajectory of every falling star, yet it had missed the one event that was seared into her mind. She looked up towards the front of the cabin where Julian sat reading one of the data PADDs he brought along. There was obviously much to discuss, but neither of them was in the discussing mood. What hung between them now wasn’t just going to go away, but that didn’t mean it needed to be resolved today. 

Julian was startled out of the article he was reading when a gentle hand touched his shoulder. He had been trying to read the same paragraph for the past twenty minutes, but the words kept running together and his mind wandered. No surprise, given the events of the past few days. Several questions floated through his mind, but only one really mattered. Where did they stand now? 

He looked up as Sam handed him a mug of Tarkalean tea, “Thanks.”

She smiled softly but didn’t say anything. He watched her retreat her perch in the back of the cabin. She folded her legs up under her and sipped at her own cup of tea. Picking up the over-sized pink pearl that sat on top of her rucksack, she contemplated it as if it held all the answers she sought. Julian hoped that it did.


End file.
